Solo trip to Bangkok (Hua Hin)
Hi readers, i'm back again to my wanderlust journey, and this time, it's Bangkok! So a few days ago, i had already finished my visiting lecture in school and i have two weeks of break before i start my school every wednesday again. And, i just haven't been diligent enough to find a full-time job because i have just so many travel plans. Life is short, and travel is the best way to learn how to be independent, how to love myself and not be dependent on anybody. I don't want to just work to pay bills and die. So, here we go. My flight was around $131-195.
So after i reached Suvarnabhumi airport, the first thing to do was to buy sim card. Its not my first time at Bangkok, and the previous few times when i always come with my ex, i always buy a sim card which they say can use for 7 days, they sell at 499 baht (20 sgd) and that time i was desperate to use internet so we just buy. Then the subsequent times we got smarter, we learned to buy at pratunam area around 199b (8 sgd) so i have like 5-6 sim cards in my bag. But then i couldn't top up because i didn't know topping up was for calls or internet. And when i went to the airport mobile line kiosk to ask, they obviously told me i couldn't top up because it's like breaking their own rice bowl.
So, i just went to Family mart to figure out, because i couldn't go anywhere without the data. After eating at Family mart, i saw that they sell sim card for 49b (2 sgd). I was like holy shit, so i just bought it. In the end, couldn't use at all, only can call and use free wifi. They told me to top up 100b (4sgd) so i can buy the data plan. Then i was like, what the hell, isn't it around the same as 199b, might as well i go direct to pratunam to buy right. And the shop staff didn't know how to activate my data after topping up the 100b, nice one i clap for you. It's like taking my money and getting nothing done, so i was damn pissed. I kept pestering her until she help me. Then one of the guy staff help me write some thai words and ask me to go to the counter booth. I told him, they wouldn't help already but he just chased me there. It's like they have this thing going on between thais, like taxis they won't break another thai's rice bowl by spoiling market, that's one thing sweet about them. But then, i'm not thai so i had to figure a way to know the insider secret. Sorry, i like to spoil market, cos i'm a blogger, that's my job to spoil the market of the tourism industry, to help another fellow budget traveller HAHAHA. So the lady at the counter saw the thai words, i think she was like rolling her eyes and forced to help me. She didn't want to let me see what she do, but after that can use data already. Anyway, i also found out how, cause i'm not a dumb bitch. Don't let me see i also figure out already.
So, i just went to Family mart to figure out, because i couldn't go anywhere without the data. After eating at Family mart, i saw that they sell sim card for 49b (2 sgd). I was like holy shit, so i just bought it. In the end, couldn't use at all, only can call and use free wifi. They told me to top up 100b (4sgd) so i can buy the data plan. Then i was like, what the hell, isn't it around the same as 199b, might as well i go direct to pratunam to buy right. And the shop staff didn't know how to activate my data after topping up the 100b, nice one i clap for you. It's like taking my money and getting nothing done, so i was damn pissed. I kept pestering her until she help me. Then one of the guy staff help me write some thai words and ask me to go to the counter booth. I told him, they wouldn't help already but he just chased me there. It's like they have this thing going on between thais, like taxis they won't break another thai's rice bowl by spoiling market, that's one thing sweet about them. But then, i'm not thai so i had to figure a way to know the insider secret. Sorry, i like to spoil market, cos i'm a blogger, that's my job to spoil the market of the tourism industry, to help another fellow budget traveller HAHAHA. So the lady at the counter saw the thai words, i think she was like rolling her eyes and forced to help me. She didn't want to let me see what she do, but after that can use data already. Anyway, i also found out how, cause i'm not a dumb bitch. Don't let me see i also figure out already.
This brand is the most popular brand in thailand, i think. But i bought AIS, cause anyway all same price can use can already. The market rate for sim card without top up is 49b at any family mart or 7-11. And one time top-up is 100b. And there's also this thing called a USSD code. It's something i learned when i was at KL too, it's for prepaid cards, so there's no need to buy sim card everytime you come to thailand. Anyway, try *500# or *121# and then you can buy the package of internet data. 1gb for one week is more than enough. The following steps should be idiot-proof enough for you guys to figure out on your own. Anyway, you can always google ussd codes if you really want more, i'm not a tech guy either but these 2 ussd codes are enough to get your phone up and running. Click here for thailand ussd codes. Click here for APN settings.
For the first day, I stayed at Cubic Hostel Pratunam. I basically wasted the whole day emo-ing and crying why i even want to go overseas alone, instant regret. Then i just slept for the whole day and sulk, and then i decided to head out to the Pratunam night market as usual. The past trip was seriously just the same hotel and bringing the whole pratunam night market back to Singapore.
For $8 sgd, the staff was quite rude. Anyway it's like money works in thailand. No money no talk. They didn't even top up the soap, nor the toilet paper, nor wanted to lend me a hairdryer. I have been to so many hostels around in KL, and i would say almost all are willing to lend me a hairdryer. But they just told me, it's for hotel rooms only. The bed you have to put in the card to charge your handphone so you couldn't charge when you're out, and the lights off by itself through sensor when you're bathing halfway. And i would say, my room mates slept very early and they were pissed that i kept walking in and out. I mean it's a hostel right, if you want privacy you should get a hotel. I didn't ask them to shut up to when they keep gossiping too, but the mate at the door just tsk me, seriously. Anyway, just $8 worth a try for that amount of price it's really one of the cheapest hostels with quite nice facilities, and also a gym, only to bear bad service attitude.
Bangkok is really cool also, besides having grab taxi (by meter) which is cheaper than tuktuks and overpriced motorbikes always charging 150-200b per trip, you can get an even cheaper option which is grab. And when grab hitch is 100b (4 sgd), you can even go cheaper by riding a delivery bike or a motorbike at 35-50b (2 sgd) depending on distance. And the money you save on transport, you can thank me later when you shop at the night market, because whatever you save from transport you can use to buy more clothings back to Singapore.
The second day i wanted to save on shopping, because i have way to much trash at home and that's not really the way to spend my hard-earned money. I can always get shopping from taobao nowadays, it'll be wasting $200 to take a flight to bangkok just to shop. So, i went to the train station early in the morning. For around 4 hours, from Bangkok Railway station, also known as the Hua Lamphong station, you can get a ticket to Huahin and anywhere of thailand and even vietnam or Kuala Lumpur for cheap. They have 1st class and 2nd class, depending on beds (100-200b) and to 3rd class, normal mrt seats for 44b (2 sgd). I took the 3rd class cheapest budget train because it was the only train to Hua Hin at that timing and i didn't want to wait. My train runs on diesel but it's still quite fast although it will stop at many stations, but it's still quite nice to enjoy the scenery when you're not in a rush to anywhere.
Click here to check railway schedule timings or google it yourself.
I reached Hua Hin station about 1.35pm and when i opened grab app, i was just shocked. They only offer taxi services in Huahin which is like 400-800b (severely overpriced). Hua hin is a very popular tourist attraction to caucasians and china tourists, and there were also bombings in the past. So, i took a few hours to google. From what i know, there were 3 colours of public transportation there called songthaews, mainly red, white and green.
The most awkward thing is that, i need to flag the songthaew down or they wouldn't stop as there was no particular bus-stop and they wouldn't stop unless someone rings the bell. The songthaew costs 10b (0.40 sgd) And because i'm an introvert, i stood there with my luggage for quite a long while. It's a little culture shock for me but i guess being a solo traveller, i'll have to adapt really quickly because nobody is going to help me. Besides songthaews, you can also rent a motorbike or a car in Hua Hin. (but i don't have a driving license, so just fml. x_x )
My next stop was this Pulley Hostel located at Takiap beach. Pulley hostel has a high rating of 9.7 stars on Agoda and 100% of postive feedbacks on the service such that you'll feel very at home, and also with a very nice cafe style ambience. Click here to book with Pulley Hostel at 17 sgd.
As accurately as the agoda reviews, I was warmly welcomed by this lady at the reception who hosted me. She brought me up to my room (i mean which hostel will do that), and even told me the attraction sites for Huahin and how to get on the buses, which places to get the buses and how to go to Santorini, Venezuela, Swiss sheep farm and the night markets. And even gave me a free map. I couldn't say how grateful i was for all that.
Anyway you should come here first before you make any plans, this lady will make you feel at home and safe, and tell you how to get around Hua Hin. Besides, this place is cheap and it's minimalization theme will make you feel very relaxed.
Walking down, is the Takiap beach, and also there is a monkey mountain nearby, just like the Batu caves in KL.
Lots of caucasians were sun-tanning here but i didn't think this beach is super outstanding or pretty so i left in awhile.
Went down to the Air space cafe just down the street near to my hostel. The ambience there is damn pretty, but the prices are slightly steep (200-400b) per menu.
Studied there for a bit.
And ate this very expensive pizza fries which was just fries with mozarella for 195b (8 sgd). They put 95b on the menu, so i was attracted inside. Only to find out the 1 at the front was covered by the clip. Great strategy game, many tourists stayed out, but still i had to instagram.
Forced myself to eat this big plate of fries and then i headed down to the Hua Hin night market
Like any ordinary night market, the only thing that is special is that the Hua Hin night market sells a lot of seafood, huge lobsters, huge prawns, huge squid, huge horseshoe crabs, everything was huge. The price should be quite expensive as well, but i didn't eat any seafood because i couldn't even finish the food in my hand. That's the only thing that sucks being a solo traveller, will be that i cannot try everything because by the time i will be so damn full.
They also sell many cool stuff like food hairclips, sweets, hellokitty sweets, dried chilli, quail egg (i know wtf) and even prawn shells. The thais are really creative people i swear. They use some kind of glue or plastic above real food, which i think is abit disturbing, but i didn't buy anyway, didn't want to waste money buying unnecessary stuff again. Also, they have really nice artsy photographic postcards which they will help you mail to China within 7 days, but by the time i mail there, boyfriend left China already, so alright.. Managed to haggle alot there too, don't be afraid to haggle because that's the joy of shopping. It's quite fun actually to haggle, but i just had to be cheapskate because i didn't bring much, and i wanted to limit myself to spending so much as well.
The next day, i just took all my luggage and went to Venezia, didn't manage to go to Plearnwan though due to the lack of time. But from Takiab beach up, Hua Hin night market, it's Plearnwarn, Venezia, Swiss sheep farm, Camel Republic and Santorini park being the furthest. And from plearnwan onwards, there is no songthaews.
Managed to be lucky enough to be stranded with an indian couple at the roadside, so at least i wasn't alone. And took a white minivan which was headed to Bangkok, to Venezia for just 10baht.
It was super hot and wasn't enjoyable at all, so i just took a few pictures and left. Honestly, the night scene if you google it is quite romantic, but i guess a solo traveller is meant to be alone so..
Lucky for my TR i took quite a few nice pics. But still it was quite hard to get photoshoot quality pictures on my own.
Little athens or greece.
And then i headed to Hua hin beach, and rented a bicycle to attempt to go to Santorini park as the taxis were just too overpriced and i had to go back and forth around 8 times, which is around 1000b. Whereas rental of bicycle is just 100b. (4 sgd) It was 15mins ride to Santorini park, and since Camel Republic and Swiss sheep farm was just nearby, it was definitely a worth to go there.
So i rode my bike at the side of the highway, up the road. Thinking back, it is actually quite funny, i seriously have no idea what i was thinking. And to all the steep curves and roads that i did not fall on, i fell on a normal road which is just close to impossible to fall on. Please don't ask me why. Lots of people who saw me on the remaining days of my trip gave me the pity sympathetic look and were asking 'Did you fall down riding a motorbike?' and i was like, 'No... i rode a bicycle' it was like honestly damn embarrassing because nobody can get such rabak falls riding a BICYCLE as me.
So i fell and my knee and all was bleeding. My first reaction was to sit down, as the bike was super heavy. Like bicycle. So just nice i fell at this old school mechanic garage and there was a hut there, i wanted to rest. Honestly, i would just continue riding on if noone attended to me, because i just didn't give a shit to my wounds. But once i headed to the hut, this very loving family of thais came over and asking if i'm okay then they led me to sit down and this thai Auntie helped me to clean my wound. She used the alcohol which was damn painful but still bearable. But then the other guy tried to distract me by asking me where i was from, why i was alone, why i was riding up the highway and lots of questions, especially why i was a girl travelling alone. And it just instantly hit me spot on, and i cried. Like not because it was painful, but i just find myself pathetic, but yeah whatever. Then after dressing my wound, i kept saying i wanted to go to Santorini park because at that time it was 4plus and it was closing soon, and i was just this near to Santorini park. So he closed the shop and brought me there. Without a single charge.
This is like the old school bikes. Like the ghost rider.
And these are the helpful people.
Next time, it's better to buy insurance.
It's like quite minor but the wound is very deep flesh cut.
And finally at Santorini. For locals its 50b, for foreigner its 150b. And to be local, you have to speak thai.
At Camel Republic, they waited outside for me. So sweet. All the flamingos up close.
Camels up close.
And this weird prairie dog.
And a pony.
He was smelling me and the zoo keeper say don't go close they will bite your hand.
Went in all for around 10-20 mins but there was honestly nothing much, all the same alpaccas, horses, ponies, chickens, rabbits, ducks, like just the normal farms with cute statues. It's only worth to go if you have a kid or something.
Super cute fat bunny.
And then the thais treat me to eat mookata, the way they eat moo ka ta is by dipping it in egg and cooking it, then putting it in chilli. So much thanks to them, if not i can't even imagine what will happen to me.
Next remaining 2 days was at Bangkok, basically cafe-hopping and night markets. I met up with this girl online who happened to be also travelling solo and recovering from a heartbreak. So we went to Siam's Little Mini Zoo.
You have to buy a food and drink before you can touch the raccoon, which is around 380b. (16 sgd)
White fox
Ferret fox
I also stayed at this very nice hostel at around 18-22sgd.
Click here for Movylodge Hostel.
And that concludes my solo trip to bangkok.
Live for experiences, travel while you are young, not when you are old.
I'll be posting another post about tips for backpackers/solo travellers, how to be street smart and also how to minimize your luggage space because i always see backpackers carrying so much stuff, and i honestly feel it's very bad for their backs. There isn't a need to bring so much stuff while travelling, because when you are solo, it really dampens your mood to have so much baggage around you. So, till then guys, have a happy chinese new year!
So i rode my bike at the side of the highway, up the road. Thinking back, it is actually quite funny, i seriously have no idea what i was thinking. And to all the steep curves and roads that i did not fall on, i fell on a normal road which is just close to impossible to fall on. Please don't ask me why. Lots of people who saw me on the remaining days of my trip gave me the pity sympathetic look and were asking 'Did you fall down riding a motorbike?' and i was like, 'No... i rode a bicycle' it was like honestly damn embarrassing because nobody can get such rabak falls riding a BICYCLE as me.
So i fell and my knee and all was bleeding. My first reaction was to sit down, as the bike was super heavy. Like bicycle. So just nice i fell at this old school mechanic garage and there was a hut there, i wanted to rest. Honestly, i would just continue riding on if noone attended to me, because i just didn't give a shit to my wounds. But once i headed to the hut, this very loving family of thais came over and asking if i'm okay then they led me to sit down and this thai Auntie helped me to clean my wound. She used the alcohol which was damn painful but still bearable. But then the other guy tried to distract me by asking me where i was from, why i was alone, why i was riding up the highway and lots of questions, especially why i was a girl travelling alone. And it just instantly hit me spot on, and i cried. Like not because it was painful, but i just find myself pathetic, but yeah whatever. Then after dressing my wound, i kept saying i wanted to go to Santorini park because at that time it was 4plus and it was closing soon, and i was just this near to Santorini park. So he closed the shop and brought me there. Without a single charge.
Click here for Movylodge Hostel.
Live for experiences, travel while you are young, not when you are old.
